Ari Vatanen denies FIA claims of backdown over presidency elections

Ari Vatanen's camp have denied suggestions from the FIA that they have backed
down by withdrawing their request for a French court to impose more
stringent security measures ahead of Friday's elections for the president of
world motor sport's governing body.

Vatanen is bidding to take over from Max Mosley,though Mosley's public backing of Frenchman Jean Todt prompted accusations of improper partisanship.

The Finnish former world rally champion said last week he felt obliged to appeal to the French court because he was "afraid that the vote would not be secret because there is a certain level of intimidation and fear of sanctions".

The FIA released a state-ment on Tuesday saying a meeting had taken place between the candidates, chaired by Mosley, at which "both candidates endorsed the fairness of the FIA's proposed voting procedure". It added that Vatanen had withdrawn his court application.

However, sources suggested the Finn was delighted to have withdrawn his application since all the measures he asked for had been implemented.

Last Tuesday Vatanen was thrown out of Mosley's office for suggesting more stringent procedures. Now it is claimed, the FIA has backed down and accepted it could not fight the court order.